TELUS expands Health for Good™ program with new Mobile Health Clinic in Halifax

The NECHC Mobile Health Clinic powered by TELUS Health, a specially-equipped mobile health clinic on wheels, will provide primary healthcare services to local citizens in need, wherever they are.HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, March 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, at a local community event in Halifax, TELUS announced its commitment to expand the company’s innovative Health for Good™ program in partnership with the North End Community Health Centre (NECHC) and their Mobile Outreach Street Health (MOSH) program. The new mobile health clinic, made possible by the contribution of the TELUS Health for Good™ program, will expand upon the important work MOSH has been doing since 2009, bringing primary healthcare directly to people in need throughout Halifax. The NECHC Mobile Health Clinic powered by TELUS Health, a specially-equipped clinic on wheels, will provide essential primary medical and mental health care, including electronic medical records directly to underserved citizens in Halifax.“At TELUS, a cornerstone of our social purpose is our commitment to enabling better health outcomes for all Canadians, including the most vulnerable of our citizens,” says Ken Power, TELUS, Regional Director, Atlantic Canada. “We believe that in order to do well in business, we must improve the social health of our communities in which we live, work and serve. With an investment of $10M over five years, we’re incredibly proud of our ongoing commitments to the TELUS Health for Good program and we’re excited to bring these much needed services to Halifax alongside our dedicated partner, North End Community Health Centre”.Already active in Montreal, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Waterloo Region, these state-of-the-art mobile health clinics operate in communities where frontline care is urgently needed and act as a vital link between the community and local health authority. The program helps to remove many of the barriers that Canadians living on the streets face in receiving medical care, and will support over 20,000 patient interventions per year nationwide.Estimates show that 235,000 individuals experience homelessness in Canada in a given year. They also typically lack a documented medical history that can be referenced by healthcare practitioners. By facilitating better continuity of care, these services help those who cannot easily access traditional medical care, yet are in urgent need.“At NECHC, we know that bringing primary health care to people who are homeless, insecurely housed, street involved and underserved in our community is key to removing barriers to care, improving health outcomes in our community and reducing heavy system use,’ said Marie-France LeBlanc, Executive Director, NECHC. “In this, our tenth year of MOSH, we are thrilled to be partnering with the TELUS Health For Good program to bring a new state-of-the art mobile clinic to our community. This next generation MOSH van will expand access to healthcare for those in HRM who need it the most.”The Mobile Health Clinics are equipped with TELUS Health’s electronic medical record (EMR) technology and TELUS LTE Wi-Fi network technology. Skilled practitioners will be able to collect and store health data, examine results over time, and provide better continuity of care to patients who previously had undocumented medical histories for better continuity of care. The medical clinic is divided into two main areas: one for patient reception and mental health care and a second more spacious area with an examination table and a physician/nursing workstation.For more information about the TELUS Health for Good program, visit telus.com/allconnectedforgood.About TELUS Health for GoodSince 2014, TELUS Health for Good has been helping to remove many of the barriers Canadians living on the streets face in receiving medical care and reconnecting thousands of patients to the public healthcare system. Mobile Health Clinics, powered by TELUS Health, were originally inspired by the work being done by Doctors of The World. The Mobile Health Clinics powered by TELUS Health, provide essential primary medical care, including electronic medical records, generating over 20,000 patient visits since the program’s inception. Today, through numerous partnerships, volunteers, and the power of technology, TELUS Health for Good is an efficient and innovative mobile healthcare delivery tool to reach communities in need by bringing healthcare directly to the people that need it most.About TELUSTELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic, world-leading communications and information technology company with $14.7 billion in annual revenue and 15.2 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment, video and security. We leverage our global-leading technology to enable remarkable human outcomes. Our longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty. TELUS Health is Canada’s largest healthcare IT provider, and TELUS International delivers the most innovative business process solutions to some of the world’s most established brands.Driven by our passionate social purpose to connect all Canadians for good, our deeply meaningful and enduring philosophy to give where we live has inspired our team members and retirees to contribute more than $700 million and 1.3 million days of service since 2000. This unprecedented generosity and unparalleled volunteerism have made TELUS the most giving company in the world.For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com, follow us @TELUSNews on Twitter and @Darren_Entwistle on Instagram.About NECHC The North End Community Health Centre is a non-profit, registered charitable organization that unites over fifty staff members and healthcare providers in the vision of providing innovative, respectful and compassionate health and wellness services to our unique and culturally diverse community. Services provided include a primary care clinic, a dental clinic, Mobile Outreach Street Health (MOSH), and Housing First.The NECHC is a hub for those living in the North End of Halifax, Nova Scotia since 1971. We provide collaborative, multi-disciplinary primary health services to meet the needs of those who often face barriers to access. We support health and well-being in our community through quality primary health care, education and advocacy in an environment in which people are treated with respect and dignity and there is equitable access to services and programs. Beyond the physical clinic, NECHC strives to address various aspects of the social determinants of health.For media inquiries, please contact:Saara RahikkaTELUS Public Relationssaara.rahikka@telus.com(647) 465-4596CBJ Newsmakers